THE idea of writing an Abigail's Party-like comedy set at New Year in Scotland sounds as inviting as your granny's soup, steak pie and black bun.

And writer Simon Carlyle was perfectly placed to come up with the BBC drama, Two Doors Down.

A few years back he and writing partner Gregor Sharp created No Holds Bard, a comedy set around a chaotic Burns competition.

Now they've come up with a comedy set at a Hogmanay party.

Beth and Eric Baird's Hogmanay goes horribly wrong as family, friends and neighbours descend on their home. Secrets are revealed, tempers fray, scores are settled and a gazebo is destroyed as drink flows.

After all, at what other time of year do emotions run so high? When else do we reflect and look forward - all with the aid of a bottle and the TV on.

"New Year is a big deal in Scotland," says Simon. "We wanted to write something about the sort of things that would happen in our own families.

"But I'm from Ayr and Gregor is from Paisley so, first of all, we had to get the traditions right.

"For me, New Year was all about going to my gran's next door neighbours' house and listening to Jim Reeves records.

"Television was also massively important, and I can remember seeing the fantastic Dorothy Paul fro the first time as The Steamie seemed to be on every year.

"And as kids we got to watch the adults behave really badly."

There is positivity running through the show, too.

"I didn't want to write a programme that represents Glasgow as being full of neds. I wanted to write about ordinary people in places like Paisley. That can be just as funny," says Simon.

Two Doors Down features a terrific cast, including Alex Norton, Arabella Weir, Doon Mackichan and Jonathan Watson. "I can't quite believe the cast which has been pulled together," says Simon. "We feel so blessed."

Growing up in Ayr wasn't easy, says Simon with a grin, revealing that at the age of 12 he wanted to be in London doing drag cabaret, "but you can't really say that when you're standing in Ayr High Street wearing a Lyle & Scott jumper, waiting for your mum to come out of the butchers."

Life changed when he got the chance to model for teen magazines such as Jackie. He then worked as an extra in Taggart.

"The next thing I knew an assistant director was looking for someone to wear a pink T-shirt to play a rent boy. I thought, 'I could do that.' And I did."

Ten years ago he came up with Terri McIntyre; Classy Bitch, the sitcom about the dirty-minded tanning salon worker, a role he played himself.

Success continued with Thin Ice then, after No Holds Bard, he came up with Happy Hollidays, the caravan park comedy which, sadly, didn't really get going.

For Simon, 2014 is looking rosy. He is working on a radio pilot for BBC Scotland and on project with Karen Dunbar. "And I've written a script set in a gay sauna in Glasgow," he says. "That one is available to the highest bidder."

l Two Doors Down, BBC1, tonight

at 9pm.